Programming language questions

[Atomars]

I have two questions for those who are familiar with programming.

1) What is your favourite programming language and why ?
2) There are a lot of programming languages, which one is the best in your opinion ?

[fafner]

1) What is your favourite programming language and why ?

I would go without hesitation with C and C++ .

C is good for anything low-level: system and kernel programmation. C++ is good for anything high-level (that is anything that isn't low-level, such as most of windowed applications and games).

2) There are a lot of programming languages, which one is the best in your opinion ?

Can't answer here for 2 reasons. First, it is personal: many languages appeal to a way to see things, and some problems will be easy to solve with a language, and difficult with another one. For example, a small program that involves a lot of pattern-matching will be easy to write with Perl, but a C program, while being able to do pattern-matching, will require a specialized library and be slightly more difficult to write. Second, it depends a lot on what you want to develop. Are you targetting a system program? A driver? A game, native or web-based? A web application? A server application? As I mentioned earlier C is good for system and drivers (kernel), and C++ is good for high-level, but of course both are very bad for web applications. Despite being my favorites languages, I will never ever imagine using them for a web application

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

There is no best programming language. Each has it's own special niche.

[AprilSeven]

Does HTML count?

Okay, it's the only one I know (used to know a bit of C).

I really should learn though, my family is chock full of programmers

I'd encourage you to just get started. It's quite addictive actually - and frequently almost RELAXING (like knitting with your mind! )

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I think HTML is a kind of programming language. (What do you think the "L" stands for!")
I think that interactive web pages can be written in HTML, though there may be java subroutines involved. I know you are fluent in HTML, you certainly do compose some fancy looking posts here! (so does diehard67)

[Atomars]

I'd encourage you to just get started. It's quite addictive actually - and frequently almost RELAXING (like knitting with your mind! )

Thanks, I started learning Ruby earlier this year.
But I think I should start learning C.

I think HTML is a kind of programming language. (What do you think the "L" stands for!")

Hmm, I don't think HTML is exactly a programming language because the "M" in HTML stands for "Markup". Therefore, it is a Markup Language. Generally, what programming languages does is to deal with computer functions whereas HTML deals with the visual interface of a website.

[fafner]

HTML is a language, however it is not Turing complete. Javascript is commonly used to close the "gap".

If you want to learn C, go for it. Learn multiple languages such as Perl, Java. Do some exercises if you have the time, otherwise do at least a quick survey. This way you'll see what language suits best to your needs and taste

[Astro Forever]

I agree that no language is "the best", it depends of what you want to do.

There is a lot of creativity involved in designing a program. While exercises are a great way to learn, I think at one point it's great to go for a specific, personal goal: it forces you to learn things that wouldn't have occured to you otherwise.

[Atomars]

HTML is a language, however it is not Turing complete. Javascript is commonly used to close the "gap".

If you want to learn C, go for it. Learn multiple languages such as Perl, Java. Do some exercises if you have the time, otherwise do at least a quick survey. This way you'll see what language suits best to your needs and taste

Thanks for the tips, I highly appreciate them.
A friend recommended me to learn C++ and Java, but I guess I'll stick with Ruby for now. Ruby is fun .
However, I'm interested to learn C, C++ and Java in the future.
Well, knowing a lot of languages can be helpful I guess.

[fafner]

Well, knowing a lot of languages can be helpful I guess.

It is helpful. When you know a lot of them, you realize that they are often basically the same languages with different syntaxes. Then you perfectly see the different families.

For example, C and Pascal are almost the same, you can translate from one to the other almost line per line (I did it with an old program I had written). This is similar with C++ and Pascal Object, and Java in some aspects. Javascript is more flexible at the price of being less structured (but we might say the same thing with C in some aspects). This is different with other languages such as LISP, which is functional (you need to rethink the program). COBOL is fundamentally different, being from another era (you may have to rethink your program in term of syntax, if not in term of general structure).